Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: 1. A Business Needs Products
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The North is a land of ice. Naturally, it was a terribly harsh place for people to live.
Even beyond that North, monsters swarmed in, so the Empire had no choice but to grudgingly build defensive walls in the North, a region with no potential for development. The families tasked with that role were the Beril Count Family and a few other Margrave houses, and aside from their territories, the North remained almost entirely undeveloped.
What does that mean?
“It means this damn mountain is a pain to climb.”
“...C-C-Cold!”
“Want to layer up more? Should I take off my clothes for you?”
“N-No. It's still... bearable.”
“If you're like this at the base, it'll be tough later.”
Perhaps because she was a child, Laila shivered violently even bundled in multiple layers of clothing. Dressing her any warmer would hinder movement, so that was the best they could do.
The problem was that they had only just reached the foot of the snow mountain. They'd used one of the few passes built in the North to get this far, but from here on, it was the true snow mountain itself.
‘I heard the knights of the Beril Count Family climb mountains like this with ease.’
They said that unless you were a superhuman of that caliber, you couldn't survive in the North, so they hadn't properly paved the path to the Beril estate. Superhumans like that could scale a snow mountain like this without a path anyway.
Of course, that didn't apply at all to a washed-up adventurer and a child.
“A-Are you insane? They expect us to find our way through a place like this!?”
“The knight said it, didn't he? Mindset is key.”
“Mindset...?”
“It's to see if a kid can make it through this harsh place. It'll be your daily life once you're part of the Beril Count Family anyway.”
“...I don't want to be a noble anymore.”
“Too late to turn back now, isn't it?”
Even if she wanted to go back, he planned to drag her along somehow, but Laila nodded as if it were just a heat-of-the-moment outburst.
“I have to go. I have to become a noble... and feed my siblings.”
“They're all pulling their weight already, aren't they?”
“Still, I'm the big sister. It's only natural I take care of them.”
Her words carried a hint of obsession, but they were also incredibly reliable. She seemed like the type who would steadily send donations back to the orphanage even after being adopted into the Beril family.
“Yeah, that's the spirit.”
“Let's hurry! The other competitors might get there first!”
He followed Laila, who surged ahead with enthusiasm, as they climbed the snow mountain. Fortunately, it wasn't snowing, but the snow piled up to their ankles sapped their strength with every step.
Thanks to his adventurer experience, he managed somehow. Laila? Kids that age had stamina in spades. Of course, he had to pace her so she didn't burn out too fast.
“Wh-What if monsters or beasts show up?”
“This is the Beril Count Family's mountain, so nothing like that. Scared?”
“No, I was just wondering how we'd escape.”
“Reliable as ever.”
Products with built-in self-preservation were convenient like this. It felt like dropping a smartphone on asphalt and seeing it come out unscathed—utterly dependable.
Despite the snow mountain being too steep for a child her age, Laila climbed with unwavering enthusiasm and not a single complaint.
‘Guess her motivation is solid.’
He hoped that drive would really get her adopted into the Beril family. For his orphanage business and retirement!
With both of them highly motivated, they traversed the snow mountain quickly, but a child's pace had its limits. The mountain darkened soon enough.
Of course, he'd anticipated this too.
“Setup complete. Come on in.”
“Where'd you get something like this?”
“Used it back in my active days. Cool, right?”
“...It's filthy.”
“Say it has a nice patina.”
He pulled an old portable tent from his bag and set it up. A cave would have been ideal, but finding none, he pitched it behind a suitably large boulder.
It was a bit cramped, but plenty for two with a child Laila's size. Laila grumbled briefly before crawling inside.
“It's warm.”
“The tent has a minor insulation enchantment inscribed. This thing was expensive.”
“No, not that... you're warm.”
“Probably because I worked up a sweat. If I smell, sleep over there?”
Even if she was a product, Laila was still a girl, so he figured she'd want space if it bothered her. She was the future noble pension, after all—he needed to stay on her good side.
But Laila sniffed around for a moment, then suddenly jolted and whipped her head away.
“Th-The tent's small anyway. Just sleep close.”
“You sure?”
“Whether I am or not, it's your tent. Of course.”
“Alright then.”
They bickered lightly, but soon he and Laila were under the same blanket, settling in. Maybe from the cold, she inched closer to his side.
Anyway, if they spent the night like this and set off at dawn tomorrow...
“...Huh?”
“Laila? What's wrong?”
“N-Nothing, just now... something moved outside the tent?”
“Hm? What?”
“Like a huge beast or something...”
A huge beast? A monster maybe?
He hurriedly looked where Laila pointed, but saw nothing with his eyes.
“Probably just tired. We have to climb hard tomorrow, so let's sleep.”
“R-Really...?”
This was a mountain controlled by the Beril Count Family. No way monsters would be here.
A beast-like silhouette in the snow mountains brought other things to mind besides monsters, but that wasn't even worth considering.
First, to keep the product in good condition, he needed to soothe her to sleep...?
Thud thud thud thud thud───
“...What?”
This sound.
No way?
“Wh-What's that? Why do you look so serious all of a sudden...”
“This is crazy!? Laila! Get out of the tent now!”
“H-Huh?”
“Now!!”
Thud thud thud thud thud!!!
The faint, growing rumble exploded in volume in an instant.
No time to wait for the stunned Laila amid his sudden shout. He scooped her up forcibly and burst out of the tent.
“Wh-What's going on all of a sudden... Huh!?”
Laila, pounding his chest in confusion, widened her eyes as she grasped the situation.
Even in the dim twilight, what was happening higher up was clear as day.
“An av-av-alanche...!!”
“Hang on tight, Laila!”
Luckily, sprinting desperately revealed a cave he hadn't spotted before, not far off. Hurry to that spot───
“Laila, duck!”
“Huh?”
“Damn it!”
Crack.
The moment he shielded Laila with his body, a fist-sized rock from the avalanche struck his head dead-on.
An ominous crack echoed from his skull as his consciousness faded.
“No!”
With Laila's desperate cry, he hurled their bodies toward the faintly visible cave.
That was his last memory.
“Waaah! I can't do it anymore, my legs hurt too much!”
“...Damn it all.”
On the Beril Count Family's snow mountain, a child collapsed weeping. A rough-bearded man muttered a curse under his breath, and at the same time, a knight in armor emblazoned with the Beril crest spoke.
“You're out. Go back down.”
“K-Knight, sir! This one's still got it in him, so please!”
“I won't say it twice. You're out.”
“You damn brat!”
“Waaah!!”
As the knight declared firmly, the man, face twisted in despair, bellowed at the child and dragged him down by the collar. There was no care in his motions.
The knight watched their retreating backs with contempt, sighed, and placed a hand on the magic communicator.
“This is Kerion. Number 17 is out.”
“Confirmed.”
“Any anomalies?”
“Monsters heading for the snow mountain are still thoroughly blocked. Weather's clear for the next few days, so no blizzards either.”
“All they have to do is climb the damn snow mountain... Tsk, too much trash in the world.”
He knew they contacted orphanages across the Empire to have the orphans take the test. Kerion's gripe was with the directors who brought them.
Sending orphans up alone would be suicide, so they all accompanied them, but hogging food alone was commonplace, and some even kept the kids on night watch without sleep. Seeing so much of it, even Kerion couldn't help but lose any fondness for these orphanage directors.
And the fact that these were the better ones, since they hadn't pulled out whips yet, was downright laughable.
“I heard most orphanages outside the capital are in bad shape...”
“That's not the point right now. Kerion, head to the next candidate. The one Galen sent.”
“Galen? If it's from him, it might be decent... which way?”
“East from there. Another knight's already watching, but escort them discreetly without being spotted by the candidates.”
“Got it.”
The Beril Count Family wasn't really trying to let orphans die on the snow mountain for the test. They'd secretly deployed knights to call evac if a kid seemed unable to climb or lacked the ‘mindset.’
It was dark, but a knight like Kerion could pierce such gloom. He moved to watch the next candidate as ordered, but then—
Thud thud thud thud thud───!!
“Wh-What!? What was that just now?”
“Kerion, emergency! Move now!”
“What happened!”
“Damn it, that beast suddenly stirred! Why would the thing dormant for decades...!!”
“It's charging! Damage scope!?”
“Fortunately, it only roused its body, but a massive avalanche hit the east! Rescue the candidates ASAP and track the beast!”
Everyone in the Beril Count Family knew an ice spirit in beast form slumbered in this snow mountain. But why had the thing, asleep for decades due to no suitable spirit user, suddenly awakened?
Gritting his teeth, Kerion drew on his aura. Reaching the avalanche site in a flash, he began rescuing candidates moments from being swept away.
“All visible candidates here rescued!”
“Block the avalanche! Draw your aura!”
“Don't just slash the avalanche blindly! There might be rescues inside!”
Sudden crisis, but the Beril knights were elites. They divided roles in seconds, swiftly saving orphans and directors while erecting aura barriers to physically halt the avalanche.
The chaos ended abruptly, the avalanche grinding to a halt. Kerion and the knights checked candidates rapidly.
“Four candidates here.”
“Three for me.”
“Five here.”
“With mine, that's sixteen total... Damn it.”
“What's wrong?”
“...One's missing. All knights, thoroughly search the avalanche zone! Minimize aura use—rescuees might be injured, and it could trigger another!”
“““Yes!”””
“Ugh... uugh...”
Laila slowly opened her eyes. Her body ached all over, bruised in places, but she had to get up now.
‘There was definitely an avalanche...’
Something strange outside the tent, then the avalanche, the director hugging her as they fled...
And.
──Laila, duck!
“...Ah.”
Recalling the director who'd shielded her and taken the rock instead, Laila frantically looked around.
Fortunately, the director wasn't far. But.
“Y-You! Get up!”
“Lai... laaa...”
He was slumped against the cave wall, on the verge of passing out.
“The ex... it...”
To make matters worse, the cave entrance was blocked by the avalanche.
Director on the brink of unconsciousness, exit sealed.
Only Laila could move properly here.
In the utmost confusion, Laila.
‘Th-This can't be helped...’
First, she hugged the director, who looked freezing cold. Keeping him warm was the priority.
No other intentions, she told herself.
At least, that's what Laila thought.